Lectionary Calendar
Monday, July 7th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Amplified Bible

Numbers 16:40

as a reminder to the sons of Israel so that no layman—that is, one who is not of the descendants of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and as his company—just as the LORD had said to him through Moses.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Altar;   Incense;   Israel;   Sacrilege;   Token;   Thompson Chain Reference - Admission, Exclusion;   Exclusion;   Korah;   Memorials;   Remembrance-Forgetfulness;   Strangers;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Incense;   Priests;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abiram;   Dathan;   Earthquake;   Priest;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Uzziah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Aaron's Rod;   Uzzia(h);   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Aaron's Rod;   Deuteronomy;   Government;   Hexateuch;   Kadesh;   Kohath, Kohathites;   Korah, Dathan, Abiram;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Priest (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Censer;   Korah;   Miracles;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Korah;   Samuel;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Uzzi'ah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Priest;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   Samuel the Prophet;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Deuteronomy;   Numbers, Book of;   Stranger and Sojourner (in the Old Testament);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aaron;   Essenes;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
to be a memorial to the children of Yisra'el, to the end that no stranger, who isn't of the seed of Aharon, comes near to burn incense before the LORD; that he not be as Korach, and as his company: as the LORD spoke to him by Moshe.
King James Version
To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord ; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.
Lexham English Bible
it was a memorial for the Israelites, so that no strange man who is not from the offspring of Aaron should approach the presence of Yahweh to burn a smoke offering; he will not be like Korah and his company, just as Yahweh had spoken to him by the hand of Moses.
New Century Version
as the Lord had commanded him through Moses. These sheets were to remind the Israelites that only descendants of Aaron should burn incense before the Lord . Anyone else would die like Korah and his followers.
New English Translation
It was a memorial for the Israelites, that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to burn incense before the Lord , that he might not become like Korah and his company—just as the Lord had spoken by the authority of Moses.
New American Standard Bible
as a reminder to the sons of Israel so that no layman, anyone who was not of the descendants of Aaron, would approach to burn incense before the LORD; then he would not become like Korah and his group—just as the LORD had spoken to him through Moses.
Geneva Bible (1587)
It is a remembrance vnto the children of Israel, that no stranger which is not of the seede of Aaron, come neere to offer incense before the Lord, that he be not like Korah & his copanie, as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.
Legacy Standard Bible
as a memorial to the sons of Israel that no outsider who is not of the seed of Aaron should come near to burn incense before Yahweh; so that he will not become like Korah and his congregation—just as Yahweh had spoken to him by the hand of Moses.
Contemporary English Version
just as the Lord had told Moses. The pans were a warning to the Israelites that only Aaron's descendants would be allowed to offer incense to the Lord . Anyone else who tried would be punished like Korah and his followers.
Complete Jewish Bible
Now Korach the son of Yitz'har, the son of K'hat, the son of Levi, along with Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli'av, and On, the son of Pelet, descendants of Re'uven, took men and rebelled against Moshe. Siding with them were 250 men of Isra'el, leaders of the community, key members of the council, men of reputation. They assembled themselves against Moshe and Aharon and said to them, "You take too much on yourselves! After all, the entire community is holy, every one of them, and Adonai is among them. So why do you lift yourselves up above Adonai 's assembly?" When Moshe heard this he fell on his face. Then he said to Korach and his whole group, "In the morning, Adonai will show who are his and who is the holy person he will allow to approach him. Yes, he will bring whomever he chooses near to himself. Do this: take censers, Korach and all your group; put fire in them; and put incense in them before Adonai tomorrow. The one whom Adonai chooses will be the one who is holy! It is you, you sons of Levi, who are taking too much on yourselves!" Then Moshe said to Korach, "Listen here, you sons of Levi! Is it for you a mere trifle that the God of Isra'el has separated you from the community of Isra'el to bring you close to himself, so that you can do the work in the tabernacle of Adonai and stand before the community serving them? He has brought you close and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you. Now you want the office of cohen too! That's why you and your group have gathered together against Adonai ! After all, what is Aharon that you complain against him?" Then Moshe sent to summon Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli'av. But they replied, "We won't come up! Is it such a mere trifle, bringing us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, that now you arrogate to yourself the role of dictator over us? (ii) You haven't at all brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, and you haven't put us in possession of fields and vineyards. Do you think you can gouge out these men's eyes and blind them? We won't come up!" Moshe was very angry and said to Adonai , "Don't accept their grain offering! I haven't taken one donkey from them, I've done nothing wrong to any of them." Moshe said to Korach, "You and your group, be there before Adonai tomorrow — you, they and Aharon. Each of you take his fire pan and put incense in it; every one of you, bring before Adonai his fire pan, 250 fire pans, you too, and Aharon — each one his fire pan." Each man took his fire pan, put fire in it, laid incense on it and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting with Moshe and Aharon. Korach assembled all the group who were against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then the glory of Adonai appeared to the whole assembly. (iii) Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, "Separate yourselves from this assembly; I'm going to destroy them right now!" They fell on their faces and said, "Oh God, God of the spirits of all humankind, if one person sins, are you going to be angry with the entire assembly?" Adonai answered Moshe, "Tell the assembly to move away from the homes of Korach, Datan and Aviram." Moshe got up and went to Datan and Aviram, and the leaders of Isra'el followed him. There he said to the assembly, "Leave the tents of these wicked men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them, or you may be swept away in all their sins." So they moved away from all around the area where Korach, Datan and Aviram lived. Then Datan and Aviram came out and stood at the entrance to their tents with their wives, sons and little ones. Moshe said, "Here is how you will know that Adonai has sent me to do all these things and that I haven't done them out of my own ambition: if these men die a natural death like other people, only sharing the fate common to all humanity, then Adonai has not sent me. But if Adonai does something new — if the ground opens up and swallows them with everything they own, and they go down alive to Sh'ol — then you will understand that these men have had contempt for Adonai ." The moment he finished speaking, the ground under them split apart — the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all the people who had sided with Korach and everything they owned. So they and everything they owned went down alive into Sh'ol, the earth closed over them and their existence in the community ceased. All Isra'el around them fled at their shrieks, shouting, "The earth might swallow us too!" Then fire came out from Adonai and destroyed the 250 men who had offered the incense.
Darby Translation
as a memorial to the children of Israel, that no stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron come near to burn incense before Jehovah, that he be not as Korah, and as his band,—as Jehovah had said to him through Moses.
Easy-to-Read Version
He did this the way the Lord commanded him through Moses. This was a sign to help the Israelites remember that only someone from the family of Aaron should burn incense before the Lord . Any other person who burns incense before the Lord will die like Korah and his followers.
English Standard Version
to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the Lord , lest he become like Korah and his company—as the Lord said to him through Moses.
George Lamsa Translation
To be a memorial to the children of Israel, so that no stranger, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah and all his company, whom the earth opened its mouth and swallowed, just as the LORD had spoken by the hand of Moses.
Good News Translation
This was a warning to the Israelites that no one who was not a descendant of Aaron should come to the altar to burn incense for the Lord . Otherwise he would be destroyed like Korah and his men. All this was done as the Lord had commanded Eleazar through Moses.
Christian Standard Bible®
just as the Lord commanded him through Moses. It was to be a reminder for the Israelites that no unauthorized person outside the lineage of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the Lord and become like Korah and his followers.
Literal Translation
a memorial to the sons of Israel, so that an alien who is not of the seed of Aaron shall not draw near to offer incense before Jehovah, and shall not be as Korah, and as his company; as Jehovah had spoken by the hand of Moses to him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for a remebraunce vnto ye children of Israel yt no straunger (and he that is not of ye sede of Aaron) come nye to offre incense before the LORDE, yt it happe not vnto him as vnto Corah and his companye, acordynge as the LORDE sayde vnto him by Moses.
American Standard Version
to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Jehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Jehovah spake unto him by Moses.
Bible in Basic English
To be a sign, kept in memory for ever by the children of Israel, that no man who is not of the seed of Aaron has the right of burning spices before the Lord, so that he may not be like Korah and his band: as the Lord said to him by the mouth of Moses.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
To be a remembraunce vnto the children of Israel, that no straunger which is not of the seede of Aaron, come neare to offer incense before the Lorde, that he be not lyke vnto Corah and his companie, as the Lorde sayde to hym by the hande of Moyses.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
span data-lang="eng" data-trans="jps" data-ref="num.16.1" class="versetxt"> Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; and they rose up in face of Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty men; they were princes of the congregation, the elect men of the assembly, men of renown; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them: 'Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them; wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?' And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. And he spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying: 'In the morning the LORD will show who are His, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him; even him whom He may choose will He cause to come near unto Him. This do: take you censors, Korah, and all his company; and put fire therein, and put incense upon them before the LORD to-morrow; and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy; ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.' And Moses said unto Korah: 'Hear now, ye sons of Levi: is it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them; and that He hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and will ye seek the priesthood also? Therefore thou and all thy company that are gathered together against the LORD--; and as to Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?' And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said: 'We will not come up; is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us? Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards; wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.' And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD: 'Respect not Thou their offering; I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.' And Moses said unto Korah: 'Be thou and all thy congregation before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow; and take ye every man his fire-pan, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his fire-pan, two hundred and fifty fire-pans; thou also, and Aaron, each his fire-pan.' And they took every man his fire-pan, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. And Korah assembled all the congregation against them unto the door of the tent of meeting; and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 'Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.' And they fell upon their faces, and said: 'O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be wroth with all the congregation?' And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Speak unto the congregation, saying: Get you up from about the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.' And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spoke unto the congregation, saying: 'Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be swept away in all their sins.' So they got them up from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, and their sons, and their little ones. And Moses said: 'Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works, and that I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, and be visited after the visitation of all men, then the LORD hath not sent Me. But if the LORD make a new thing, and the ground open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have despised the LORD.' And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground did cleave asunder that was under them. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit; and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said: 'Lest the earth swallow us up.' And fire came forth from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.
King James Version (1611)
To bee a memoriall vnto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come neere to offer incense before the Lord, that he be not as Korah, and as his company, as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
a memorial to the children of Israel that no stranger might draw nigh, who is not of the seed of Aaron, to offer incense before the Lord; so he shall not be as Core and as they that conspired with him, as the Lord spoke to him by the hand of Moses.
English Revised Version
to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD spake unto him by the hand of Moses.
Berean Standard Bible
just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his followers.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
that the sones of Israel schulden haue thingis aftirward, bi whiche thei schulden remembre, lest ony alien, and which is not of the seed of Aaron, neiy to offre encense to the Lord, lest he suffre, as Chore sufferide, and al his multitude, while the Lord spak to Moises.
Young's Literal Translation
a memorial to the sons of Israel, so that a stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron doth not draw near to make a perfume before Jehovah, and is not as Korah, and as his company, -- as Jehovah hath spoken by the hand of Moses to him.
Update Bible Version
to be a memorial to the sons of Israel, to the end that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, comes near to burn incense before Yahweh; that he will not be as Korah, and as his company: as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses.
Webster's Bible Translation
[To be] a memorial to the children of Israel, that no stranger, who [is] not of the seed of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he may not be as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
World English Bible
to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, who isn't of the seed of Aaron, comes near to burn incense before Yahweh; that he not be as Korah, and as his company: as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses.
New King James Version
to be a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the LORD, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the LORD had said to him through Moses.
New Living Translation
This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person—no one who was not a descendant of Aaron—should ever enter the Lord 's presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the Lord 's instructions to Moses were carried out.
New Life Bible
They were to make the people of Israel remember that no man who is not a religious leader and a son of Aaron should come to burn special perfume before the Lord. Or he might become like Korah and those who were with him, as the Lord said to Eleazar through Moses.
New Revised Standard
a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, shall approach to offer incense before the Lord , so as not to become like Korah and his company—just as the Lord had said to him through Moses.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
a memorial unto the sons of Israel, That no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, shall draw near to offer incense before Yahweh, - lest he become like Korah and like his assembly, As spake Yahweh by the hand of Moses with regard thereto.
Douay-Rheims Bible
That the children of Israel might have for the time to come wherewith they should be admonished, that no stranger or any one that is not of the seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense to the Lord, lest he should suffer as Core suffered, and all his congregation, according as the Lord spoke to Moses.
Revised Standard Version
to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no one who is not a priest, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD, lest he become as Korah and as his company--as the LORD said to Elea'zar through Moses.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and his company—just as the LORD had spoken to him through Moses.

Contextual Overview

35Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense. 36Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 37"Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, that he is to pick up the censers from the midst of the blaze for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad. 38"As for the censers of these people who have sinned at the cost of their lives, have the censers made into hammered sheets as a plating for the altar [of burnt offering], for they were presented before the LORD and they are sacred. They shall be a [warning] sign to the sons of Israel." 39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the Levites who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out [into broad sheets] as a plating for the [bronze] altar [of burnt offering], 40as a reminder to the sons of Israel so that no layman—that is, one who is not of the descendants of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and as his company—just as the LORD had said to him through Moses.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that no: Numbers 3:10, Numbers 3:38, Numbers 18:4-7, Leviticus 22:10, 2 Chronicles 26:18-20, Jude 1:11

come near: 1 Kings 13:1-3, 2 Chronicles 26:16-21

Reciprocal: Exodus 12:14 - memorial Exodus 28:12 - for a memorial Exodus 29:9 - the priest's Exodus 29:33 - a stranger Exodus 30:16 - a memorial Leviticus 22:25 - a stranger's Numbers 1:51 - the stranger Numbers 16:38 - a sign Numbers 17:10 - for a token Numbers 18:2 - but thou Numbers 18:3 - only they Numbers 18:7 - the stranger Numbers 31:54 - a memorial Deuteronomy 33:10 - they shall put incense Joshua 4:7 - memorial 1 Chronicles 24:2 - Eleazar 2 Chronicles 13:10 - the priests Ezra 2:62 - therefore Esther 9:26 - they called Psalms 105:26 - Aaron Psalms 115:10 - General Jeremiah 30:21 - and I Ezekiel 40:46 - which come Ezekiel 42:13 - approach Ezekiel 43:19 - which approach Zechariah 6:14 - a memorial Luke 1:9 - his Hebrews 5:4 - General Hebrews 7:13 - of which Hebrews 8:4 - he should

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[To be] a memorial unto the children of Israel,.... The whole body of them; this explains what is meant by sign, Numbers 16:38; that it was to put or keep in mind what follows:

that no stranger which [is] not of the seed of Aaron come near to offer incense before the Lord; not only any Gentile but any Israelite, and not any Israelite only, but any Levite; none but those of the family of Aaron might offer incense before the Lord;

that he be not as Korah and as his company; this makes it clear that Korah perished at this time, though it is nowhere expressed; and it seems pretty plain from hence that he perished by fire, as his company, the two hundred fifty men with censers, did:

as the Lord said unto him by the hand of Moses; either to Korah, who is the immediate antecedent, and who perished as the Lord had told him by Moses he should; so some understand it, mentioned by Aben Ezra and Jarchi; or else to Aaron, as they interpret it; and then the sense is, that none but those of Aaron's seed should offer incense, as the Lord had declared to him by Moses; see Numbers 3:10; or it may be rather to Eleazar, as Abendana, who did as the Lord spake to him by Moses, took up the censers of the men that were burnt, and got them beaten into broad plates, and covered the altar of burnt offering with them.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile